The Benefits Of Knowledge
by loverofeevee
Summary: Dumbledore had manipulated many people in his life to reach his goals. Harry, Ron and Hermione realised he needed taken down a peg or two. And of course they would stop Voldermort while they were at it. Time travel fic. Slight three way between the trio. Nothing over hugs and quick kisses, but the rating is there since one kiss is between Harry and Ron.
1. Chapter 1

_Challenge: permanently defeat Voldermort in Harry's first year. _

_I may have bent the rules ever so slightly by putting time travel in, but it was the only way I could make it happen._

_Manipulative Dumbledore. Slight threesome between the golden trio, nothing mature._

_Point to make. Harry's magic has been made untraceable and he can do magic wandless, though he still gets his wand._

The Benefits Of Knowledge

_'Ready?'_

'As I'll ever be. Do it'.

**'You don't have to do this. You could die'.**

'I'll take that chance. Perform the spell'.

_'Ok. If you make it, take care'._

**'Yeah mate. Do us proud'.**

'Thanks guys, I will… I love you both'.

_'We love you too'._


	2. Chapter 2

When Harry opened his eyes, his friends were gone. In their place was the familiar dark and dusty confinement of the cupboard under the stairs. The lock was no trouble for a nineteen year old in a ten year old body. His relatives were out. The wards were tweaked to allow him to leave undetected. He had two days until his letter came.

Operation White Lightning had begun.

It took a lot of explanation, but the Goblins at Gringotts agreed to emancipate Harry and give him full control over all his vaults. His first action was to combine the vaults into one new one under his name alone, bar his school vault. His second was to start an investigation into any money and items illegally taken from him and his parents. Including his invisibility cloak. The third was an anonymous letter, stating every flaw in the ministries way of dealing with Sirius' case. It was subtle, gave away enough hints of anger in the wording, and spoke the right language. It would take some time, and a lot of leaking to the press, but the public would soon be crying out for his Godfather's release. Harry smirked and started on his next plan of action. Horcruxes.

The Goblins were able to seek out the cup on Harry's request. Getting to the ring was a little difficult but achievable. He was in and out of Grimmauld Place without leaving a ripple in the wards. The diary took a bit of bargaining with a certain House Elf. Dobby's bond with the Malfoys was severed, and Harry was handed the diary. That Dobby was grateful and thus loyal to the Great Harry Potter was a perk. Nagini was harder. It took Harry some time to track her down, but when he eventually did the cutting spell he learned from the Half-Blood Prince proved invaluable. That left the diadem. Pity the wards around Hogwarts would instantly alert him to Albus. That is, unless he was an animagus. Now who would suspect him of being that?

With the Horcruxes put in a dark magic blocking box, minus Nagini, and the Dursleys out to the movies, Harry took a trip back to Diagon Alley. He was pleased to find out Sirius was finally being granted a trial. That reminded him. It was time a certain rat got his just rewards. 30 minutes later poor Ron was left wondering where his familiar had gone to, and Peter found himself making a helpful appearance towards Sirius' trial.

His letter day came and, after the usual fuss with his relatives, Harry was collected by Hagrid and happily taken shopping, dropping large hints about his treatment at his relatives along the way. The Weasley's found him at the station, much like last time. Ron was amazed that he had really stumbled across the Harry Potter. Harry gave him no time to react as he clasped the red-head's hands and began chanting. A swirl of magic reared up. The trio decided that if Harry got to the past he would use his magic to bring the Ron and Hermione from there up to speed on everything that had happened, both in memory and magic. He needed their help and their friendship and it was better than letting them come into Hogwarts blind to the dangers. Harry finished his ritual and sat back. His friend slowly came out of his daze and shook his head.

'Bloody hell!'

'You ok there Ron?' Harry asked.

He smiled in relief when his friend grinned and hugged him, giving him a quick kiss.

'Never better mate. That was weird though. I mean I just went through eight years in a few minutes. Right up to that ritual. Harry if I ever start acting like a git like before, promise you'll hex me'.

Harry laughed as the woman came by with the sweet cart. Grinning he pulled out some galleons and asked for the lot. He turned back to Ron.

'I'll hold you to that, you big git'.

He laughed when his friend chucked a chocolate frog at him and they settled down to eat.

'I heard about Sirius. Good job mate. Done anything else?' Ron asked.

'Plenty. Let Hermione get here and I'll tell you both' Harry replied.

They glanced over as the door opened. Harry was quick to pull Hermione in and perform the chant on her. Once finished he sent a quick retrieving spell and brought Trevor back to Neville. Then he was engulfed in a hug.

'Oh Harry I'm so glad you're ok!'

She kissed him softly, then turned and kissed Ron, pulling them all into a group hug.

'Both of you… Don't ever leave…'

'Never…' Harry sighed.

'Promise…' Ron followed.

They spent a moment just holding each other. Then with a collective content sigh they sat down.

'So Harry, what have you done so far?' Hermione asked, snagging a chocolate frog.

'I've got Sirius out of prison. Gathered all the Horcruxes and killed Nagini. I've also stopped Dumbledore getting his hands on my parent's money. And I've got Dobby free from the Malfoys and on my side' Harry replied.

'Brilliant mate! So that leaves us with Quirrell, the Basilisk and Voldermort' Ron grinned.

'And Dumbledore of course' Hermione followed with a smirk.

'Then we need to plan ahead to make sure we get these things done, and done right' Harry said.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry glanced at the blonde's hand with a pointed look. Time for Draco to get a taste of his own medicine. He smiled and took the offered hand, then pulled Draco close before the boy could look smug.

'I know what you're doing Draco. You're just a little kid clinging on to daddy's power in society. You're not better than anyone else, you're not stronger than anyone else, you're not smarter than anyone else. If you want to be my enemy, then go ahead and treat my friends like dirt. However, if you truly want my friendship, then you're going to have to earn it. Start thinking for yourself'.

He ceased the privacy spell and let Draco go, smiling politely as Professor McGonagall came back. The look on the blonde's face was priceless. Maybe he would finally get some sense in that pretty head of his.

Ron stood guard outside, under the guise of waiting for Hermione. Hermione kept Moaning Myrtle at bay inside. Harry was down and back up the chamber within a few minutes. Fiendfyre was truly a useful spell when done right. No more Basilisk.

The trio sat in a clearing in the forbidden forest, the Horcruxes before them. A trussed up and unconscious Quirrell lay by a tree. They checked the book Harry picked up from his vault a final time.

'Ready to get this over with?' Ron asked.

'Am I ever' Harry sighed with a smile.

'Alright Harry. Stand there for me with the Horcruxes. This will be painful so prepare yourself. Ron, keep an eye on Quirrell. It won't take Voldermort long to rise up' Hermione said.

They were about to put all the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul back together, including the one in Harry. Something they discovered they could do when Harry found the book in his vaults last time. Voldermort was going down and he was going down now.

Harry took in deep breaths as Hermione finished. His energy back he and the other two pointed their wands at the dark shadow rising from Quirrell. Voldermort looked surprised and angry.

'Hello Riddle. Sorry but I'm really not in the mood to hear you monologue. As you can see your soul is put back together, and we're about to kill you. Goodbye'.

There was a wail and a small surge of magic as Tom Riddle fell dead to the ground. The trio smirked to each other. Dumbledore was bound to notice that.

'Ready guys?' Harry asked.

They nodded, and as one turned tail and ran, screaming and crying back to Hogwarts. They were met by a party of teachers. Through sniffles and hiccups they were able to tell of how Professor Quirrell wanted them to go out into the forest to help him collect specimens for class, and that since he was a teacher they thought it was ok to go into the forest, and that he suddenly turned on them, and they saw Voldermort, and Harry was hit with the killing curse for a second time and lived, and how Voldermort gained his own body, and how they were lucky to escape when Harry in desperation threw the same curse back at Voldermort. Snape certainly had enough evidence that Voldermort was dead for good, as his dark mark was no more. With Quirrell and Voldermort bodies confirming the traumatised children's story for the others, attention turned to Dumbledore. How did a supposed all-knowing Warlock overlook Quirrell's strange new behaviour, or the presence of Voldermort himself? More questions were asked about why the philosopher's stone had been placed in Hogwarts when it was clearly a risk item. Sirius' treatment sprung up a few times as well. And then of course Harry played the heartbroken child who was left with relatives who neglected and hurt him and told him nothing of the wizarding world. Why hadn't no-one come to check on him, or make sure he knew who he was? Why was he left to fend for himself? Dumbledore had a lot to answer for, and now the entire wizarding world knew it. Sirius himself made an appearance, demanding custody over Harry, something the public and press was happy to support. Harry found the whole thing, very satisfying.

And thus the world was safe from darkness once more. Harry went to stay with Sirius, and his partner Remus. Dumbledore was forced to step down from his many positions, and Professor McGonagall became headmistress of Hogwarts. Draco eventually stepped out of his father's shadow and became his own person, something his mother was happy with. Severus had mellowed without his masters hounding him. Sure there were still Deatheaters out there. There was never a happily ever after in real life. But Harry did learn one thing from his adventures. He had friends, and he was loved. And as he sat, with Hermione cuddled into his left side, and his head on Ron's shoulder, he was content to keep a hold of those feelings. For the rest of his life.

**End**


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